Automatic radiator shutter



June 17, 1930. s. VERNET AUTOMATIC RADIATOR SHUTTER 'Fild Feb. 8, 192'!2 Sheets-Sheet 1 avwwntoz fzze /a/ VAT/V47 flumw- June 17, 1930.

s. VERNET 4 7 1,764,371

AUTOMATIC RADIATOR SHUTTER Filed Feb. 8, 1927 z Sheets-Sheet 2 8 vwcn f0z .fae /a/ 1 5? (1/47 @51 Gite (May Patented June 17, 1930 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE SEBGIUS VEBINET, OF BBOOKLYN,- NEW YORK, 'ASSIGNOR OF OFTEHALF T WILLIAM 1. HAMMOND, OF SCABSDALE, NEW YORK -AUTOMATIG RADIATORSHUTTER Application filed February 8, 1927. Serial No. 166,633.

This invention relates to radiators for automotive internal combustionengines and more particularly to automatic means for limiting andcontrolling the flow of air through the radiator in accordance withvariations in the operating temperature of the engine and specificallydue to the variations in the temperature of the exhaust gases.

An object of the invention is to provide an automatic control means forautomobile ra- Y riator shutters which will be more quickly responsiveto variations in the exhaust temperature of the engine.

Another object of the invention is to provide automatic control meansfor automobile radiator shutters which will be more simple andinexpensive in their construction, cost of operation, and of few andrugged parts.

A further object of this invention is to provide an automatic controlmeans for automobile radiator shutters which is'mounted on the exhaustmanifold of the engine and is subjected to the temperature variationscaused by the hot exhaust gases'of the engine so as .to cause a morepositive and quicker operation of the control than is possible whenoperated by engine temperatures or by any other means of control.-

A further object of the invention is to provide an automatic radiatorshutter control means which will close the shutter much more quicklyafter the engine is stopped than is possible. when the enginetemperature varia tion is used to eflect the control means.

A further object of the invention is to provide an automatic radiatorshutter control means which will operate at a temperature higher thanengine temperature and over a greater range of temperature therebymaking the actual operation of the device more positive and morereliable.

A further object of this invention is to rovide an automatic shutter forcontrol 0 incoming cooling air to an internal combustion engine which isoperated by the heat of the exhaust gases of the engine.

A further object of this invention is to pro-- vide an automaticradiator shutter control means which is adapted to open the shutterfroma point above the boiling point of the cooling medium and to closeit independent of the cooling medium.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as thedescription proceeds.

Referring now to the drawings which illustrate several possible forms ofembodiment of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a side view partially in section of an automotive internalcombustion engine and radiator with the shutter and control means inposition thereon.

Fig. 2 is a perspective View partially in section of a modified form ofcontrol means.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the lower portion of an automobileradiator shutter showing how the shutter controlling mechanism isinstalled therein.

Fig. 4 is a view of the control means taken at right angles to Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a modified type of control mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view through the automobile radiator showing thecontrol mechanism mounted from the rear portion thereof.

Fig. 7 is a view of a further modified type of construction in which theradiator shutter is electrically controlled.

.Fig. 8 is a front elevational View of the shutter showing the locationof the dummy frame section. V

Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

' Fig. 10 .is a rear elevational view partly in section showing amodified form of actuating element.

Fig. 11 is an end view on the line 11--1l of Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a detail view showing the arrangement to fasten the dummyvane to the shutter.

In automatic control radiator shutters as previously constructed, it hasbeen customary to provide for the control of the thermostat or otherautomatic actuating means through the temperature of the water in thecooling system. Upon starting a cold engine the thermostat is notactuated to open the shutter until the temperature of all of the waterin the cooling system has been raised substantially.

The opening of the shutter is slow, and in case a volatile liquid, suchas alcohol, is used to prevent freezing of the cooling fluid, por tionsof this may be lost through volatilization because of a temporaryover-heating of the cooling liquid before the control mechanism operatesto open the shutter and preserve the desired temperature. Likewise, incontrol mechanisms actuated b the temperature of the cooling water in te engine, the closing of the shutter, when the engine is stopped, isconsiderably retarded. Durin the running of the engine, a great amount 0heat is gathered in the walls of the cylinders and cylinder heads, andwhen the engine is stopped, this heat is absorbed by the water theescape of all of the heat trapped in the engine, and hence, the widevariations in the temperature of the. engine between periods ofoperation and periods of inaction.

It is the prime purpose of the present invention to mount the automaticshutter control mechanism in position where it can be influenced'andactuated b the temperature of the exhaust manifold o the engine, name-1y; on or adjacent to the exhaust manifold.

On stopping the engine at the period of operation, the exhaust manifoldvery quickly cools to the temperature of the surrounding atmosphere,regardless of the temporary rise in the temperature of the cooling waterdue to the heat trapped in the cylinder walls and as the spring is nowtending to close the shutter, the shutter is quickly closed, trappin andholding this heat within the engine hoo and maintaining the temperatureof the en ine above that of the surrounding atmosp ere for a longerperiod of time than is possible in the case of a snutter controlled bythe temperature of the cooling water. It completely does away with theextensive lag which exists in thermostatic elements controlled by theretained heat of the cooling water.

In the embodiment chosen in Fig. 1 to illus trate the invention, the clinder block of the engine is indicated at 1, t e radiator at 2, theoutlet from the radiator at 3 and the inlet to the radiator atA. Anysuitable type of pum '5 and cooling fan 6 may be provided as wilbe'readily-understood. A ty ical arrangement of nlet manifold for t eengine cylinders is indicated at 7 and a typical arrangement of theexhaust manifold is indicated at 8. The radiator shutter 9, which ismounted in the front of the radiator, comprises the usual frame 10 andpivoted shutter vanes 11, and may be of any desired construction, suchas, for example, as is illustrated in my copending application SerialNo. 138,392, filed September29, 1926. It will be understood that anyother construction of shutter mechanism may be used. The vanes of theshutter are preferably pivoted in the frame member 10 at approximatelythe mid points thereof, as indicated at 12, and are each provided with arearwardly projecting ear 13 adapted to be secured by means of a pivot14 to an actuating bar 15 extending vertically upward near one side ofthe frame so that when the bar 15 is moved upward relative to theshutter frame 10, the vanes will be swung in a clockwise directionaround their pivots 12, as shown in Fig. 3, to close the shutter andwhen the actuating bar is moved downward relative to the frame 10, thevanes will be swung in the opposite direction to permit free flow of airto the radiator. The actuation of the bar 15 is preferably controlled bymeans of a thermally expansive corrugated tube or bellows 16 secured inthe lower portion 17 of the shutter frameand provided with an actuatingrod 18 connected to the short arm of a bell crank lever 19 which ispivoted in the brackets 20 in the shutter frame, the long arm of thebell crank 19 being secured by means of a loose connection 21 with thelower end of the actuating bar 15.

Extending from a portion of the'bellows opposite the rod 18 is a tubularconduit 22 which extends to a suitable hollowed bulb or other receptacle23 adapted to be mounted in any suitable position on the exhaustmanifold 8 of the engine 1.

The bulb 23, pi e 22 and bellows 16 are filled with a suita le fluidsuch as, for example alcohol, benzol, ether or the like, WhlCh vaporizeat suitable temperatures and which expand greatly upon vaporizationwithin the range of temperatures of the exhaust -manifold. The pressuregenerated is transmitted to the bellows 16 which directly operates therod 18, forcing it to the right, as shown in Fig. 4. Upon cooling of thebulb 23, and the hquid or vaporized gas therein, the bellows 16 willreturn to its normal position and with the aid of the spring 40, the rod18 will move to the left and actuate the bell crank. lever to closetheshutter vanes. As shown in Figure 3, the spring 40 in1uriouslyaffected by the extreme heatato which this manifold is subjected innormal" operation and which effectively, quickly,

and "adequatelyopens and closes a shuttercontrolling'this air inflow inmuch less time than is consumed by devices of the prior art, andfurther, that it closes the device in a period of from five to eightminutes after the'engine has stopped.

It will be understood that the shutter and controlmechanism is typicalof one'form of embodiment which-has'been found satisfactory in thepractice of the invention and that the construction is by nomeanslimited to the details illustrated therein and it is to be.

construed to be within thescopeof this invention to applythis or anyother embodi-fl ment to the front portion of anautomobile, whether airorwater or otherwise cooled, to

tor is to be understood not only a coolin tank containing a liquid to becooled by ra iator;

' but to include the screen or other device that encompasses. the pathof the inflowing cool- Y ing air, such as commonly found in place of theusual radiator in automobiles whose engines are cooled by air.

Fig. 5, for example, illustrates a modified type'of construction inwhich the tube 22 extending from the bellows 16passes through theradiator and is coiled at 22 into a cylindrical receptacle 24 secured tothe exhaust manifold 8 so as to receive the heat therefrom, the liquidin the coil 22* and pipe 22 expanding and contracting in accordance withvariations of the temperature of the exhaust manifold to cause expansionand contraction ofthe bellows 16 in the manner previously described. j

Fig. 6, illustrates-a still further modification of the invention inwhich the shutters are controlled from adjacent top vanes thereofbymeans of a wire of cord 25 connected at one end to a curved return 26 onthe top vane of the radiator shutter, and atthe other end to one arm ofthe bell crank lever 27 which is pivotally mounted on bracket 28 se-'cured to the back of the automobile radiator.

' The other arm of the bell crank 27 is controlled by means of a bellows16 which is 1 mounted in verticalposition at the rear of the radiatorand fixedly secured so that expansion and contraction of the bellowswill cause movement of the'bell crank 27 around its pivot to open orclose the'radiator shut ter.

in .w h the shutter is controlled bymeans of a thermostat 29 mounted onthe. exhaust manifold 8 in such a way that the heating of the exhaustmanifold will make the electrical contacts 30 to cause flow ofcurrentfrpm the automobile battery 31 'to the resistance coil 32-locatedinside the bellows 16 and cause a heating of the liquid in the bellowswhen the resistance element 32 is heated to expand the bellows andcontrol the opening of the shutter.

In Fig. 8 is shown the lower portion of the radiator shutter --9 withthe lowermost I movable vane removed and adummy vane 33 v tionship ofparts in adiiferent manner. control the ll'lflOW of air and the termradia- Thefmodification shown in Fig. 10 com- Fig 7, illustrates afurther embodiment prises a rectangular shaped diaphragm 16 l the mostextended port-ion having a superposed dome like bearing 34 correspondingto and actuating the floating similarly shaped pin 35 on theoperatin arm36 pivoted to the dummy vane 33 at 3 The other end of the operating arm36 has a slot 38 for coaction with the vertical actuating bar 15actuating the shutter vanes. This arrangement is more fully shown inFig. 11.

Fig. 12 shows a simple snap catch 41 with operating spring 42 topositively but remov-' ably attach the dummy vane carrying the actuatingelement to the radiator shutter. 7

It will be understood that various modifica; tions and changes may bemade in the invention withoutdeparting from the spirit there-'- of andscope,of the appended claims which are intended to define the inventionbroadly.

I claim: I

1. In an automatic radiator shutter for internal combustion engines, anexhaust manifold to remove hot gases from the engine, a radiator, a;radiator shutter in front of said radiator adapted to vary the amount ofair flowing therethrough' from all to none and a thermostatic controlcontaining. a volatile liquid adjacent to and effected by the heat ofthe exhaust manifold, said heat vaporizing saidliquid to operate thesaid shutter, by vapor pressure means. 7 Y

2. In an automobile, the combination with an'intern'al combustion engineand an exhaust manifold thereon, of a radiator, and means to v obstructthe passage of air through the radiator actuated by the variations intemperature of the exhaust gases, said means being in -front of andentirely covering the air opening in the radiator.

3. In an automobile, the combination with an internal combustion engineand an exhaust manifold, a radiator, and a means to totally obstruct theinflow of air therethrough, of a thermostat to automatically operate theobstructing means which operates above the temperature of the coolingmedium and independent of said temperature.

i the radiator to permit air to pass through and 4. In a device tocontrol the inflow of cooling air to an internal combustion engine, a

thermostat adjacent the exhaust manifold, a shutter comprising movablevanes to vary the colume of incoming air, vapor pressure means adjacentthe shutter and in communication with said thermostat adapted to openand close said shutter according to variations in temperature of theexhaust gases. \5. In combination with a radiator a cooling air controldevice for internal combustion engines, an-automatic replacementoperating unit for said control device comprising a vapor pressureactuated bellows, actuating arms for said control device and moved bvsaid Uellows, the said bellows being ener- 1 gized by the exhaust gasheat of the engine. 7 6. In combination with an internal combustionengine having a radiator to control the a a cooling medium therefor anda conduit for exhaust gases, means for opening and closing shut off saidair, and means influenced by the exhaust of tlEengine for regulating thefirst named means.

tor, an adjustable shutter for the entire front of said radiator toobstruct the flow of air therethrough and a thermostatic control forsaid shutter comprising a vaporizing chamber b to be attached adjacent apart of the en e and operated at a temperature higher t an theprevailing engine temperature, said chamberbeing' adapted to vaporize afluid therein and means to communicate said vapor I pressure to 'said-shutter.

8. In combination with an automotive internal combustion engine having aliquid cooling system including a radiator, an air controlling shutterfor the front of said radiator, a bellows adjacent the shutter to movesaid shutter, a thermostatic device adapted to produce avapor pressurein said shutter bellows, to operate said; shutter, said thermostaticdevice being adapted to operate the shutter by temperaturescorresponding to the exhaust gas of said engine. In testimony whereof Ihave afiixed my sig nature to this-specification.

' SERGIUS VERNET.

7. In an automobile, the combination with -.an internal combustionengine, and a radia-

